Spurs manager Thomas Frank at Old Trafford.placeholder image
Spurs manager Thomas Frank at Old Trafford. | Getty Images
Cristian Romero lasted just 30 minutes on the pitch against Manchester United before being shown a red card for Spurs.
Tottenham Hotspur have sunk to 14th in the Premier League table after a 2-0 defeat to Manchester United side that continue to look revitalised under the stewardship of Michael Carrick.
Thomas Frank’s side gave themselves little hope of getting a positive result at Old Trafford when Cristian Romero was sent off in the 29th minute. The centre-back lunged in on Red Devils star Casemiro with excessive force, making it an easy decision for Michael Oliver to brandish the red card.
Reacting to the moment on TNT Sports, Ally McCoist said: “Do you know what I think? I don’t think he needs to follow through. It’s ridiculous, I don’t think he needs to follow through at all. There’s a way you can go and challenge for the ball and win the ball. If he knows the player’s there, which he does because the player is in front of him, it’s madness. I don’t think there’s any excuse for that.”
Thomas Frank responds to Cristian Romero red card
Romero is now set for a four match ban for the reckless challenge. The captain will miss out against Newcastle United in midweek and be sidelined for the big North London derby against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium later this month. The Argentine will then also miss London derbies against Fulham and Tottenham before being able to return for the trip to Liverpool next month.
The red card comes after a week when Romero slammed the club’s recruitment as ‘disgraceful’ following the 2-2 draw with Manchester City which saw Frank able to use just 11 fit senior players. Frank had said that the social media post was dealt with ‘internally’ this week.
The Spurs manager was once again forced to speak about his captain following the defeat to Manchester United. He said: “I think the first 30 minutes were a good away performance at a difficult place against a team with confidence and flow. After the red card, I’m proud of the players, the resilience, staying in the game mentality. Still being a threat, trying to create something. I’m very proud of them.”
Romero apologises to Tottenham Hotspur teammates
The Red Devils’ first goal came form a well worked set piece, which was finished by Bryan Mbeumo. When asked if the hosts would have scored the goal if Romero had still be on the pitch, Frank told TNT Sports: “No. That was the error they could explore. It can always happen, of course, you can play 10 against 11 but that was the area that got exposed.
“Cristian, first and foremost, there’s no intention to do the follow through and make a red. He clearly goes for the ball. Unfortunately, the way the rules is, it’s then a red. Cristian apologised to his teammates in the dressing room.”
Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario also defended Romero after the match. He said: "He is disappointed because he knows this red card could have been avoided so he apologised. He is our captain and today he made a mistake but we know the player he is and he is going to come back stronger and help us massively throughout the season."
In other news, Tottenham handed fresh injury blow ahead of Newcastle United and Arsenal clashes as key man limps off.
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